Mccarty modeling and talent agency

Craze Agency Actors Checklist
1-Always bring an agency approved photo to the audition. Even if it is at a callback or you have met the client before. No exceptions!
2-Always bring an agency approved resume to the audition. No exceptions!
3-You must staple the resume back to back to your photo. Do not ever attend an audition without both your headshot and resume stapled back to back. One staple in each corner!
3a-For modeling auditions always bring your portfolio and cards, be proud and confident in your photos.
4-Always be 10-15 minutes early to your audition and make sure you have the correct address and directions to the audition. No exceptions or excuses!
5-Once at the audition look for a sign in sheet and make sure you clearly fill in the correct information if there is a sign in sheet.
6-Do not bother or ask the Casting director or client many questions, research them before the audition.
6a-Often modeling auditions are also based on your personality and ability to take directions. They also want to work with someone who is interesting and fun to work with.
7-If they are recording the audition they will ask you to slate. When they say “slate” look into the camera and smile and confidently say hello my name is (state your full name). They may also ask you to state the part you are playing and your agency. Do not tell them this information unless they ask for it!
8-When you are ready to perform your part find the mark or place they would like you to stand or sit (your option to stand or sit unless they specify).
9-When you start your performance only read to the person you are having the dialog with. Do not look at the camera or the casting director, client etc. unless they are performing the scene with you.
10-Give as much eye contact as possible to the person you are reading with, even when they are reading their lines. Really listen to them and react naturally to what they say.
11-When you perform the scene act as natural and believable as possible. You must come off as being very relaxed, comfortable and confident.
12-Really know the scene and characters inside and out. Prepare it over and over. Try to have the scene memorized, but make sure you know the lines and never break character!
13-The auditions are not practice sessions. The clients auditioning you expect you to know what you are doing and be a professional finished product. Get the training before you start attending auditions!
14-Often they will not have you do the scene more than once. If they do and they give you directions or changes really go overboard making the changes.
15-Have and project that you are having fun. Remember you are an entertainer. Clients do not want to hire or be around boring run of the mill talent.
16-If you receive a call back, try to look and perform the scene the same way.
17-Do not call your agency after each audition asking if you were hired or have received a call back. They will call you if they want to book you.
18-If you accept an audition you must attend!!!! No exceptions. If you are not 100% sure you can attend, do not accept the audition, we will understand. (We usually give the client an advanced time sheet on who exactly will be at the audition and what time they are scheduled). If you are not going to be available when the job if being completed do not accept the audition.
19-Do not get discourage if they did not hire you. Every client and situation is different. The biggest key to success in this business is patience and perseverance!!!!!
20-It is your career, so practice, practice, practice, because the competition is!http://www.crazeagency.orghttp://www.crazeagency.infohttp://www.crazeagency.nethttps://crazeagency.wordpress.com/

Actors and models, when you go out or submit for a lot of auditions whether you get booked or not casting directors, clients and agents really respect and admire you. We want you to continually try hard and audition as often as possible. It shows you are serious and eager!
If you are a model or actor that is not fortunate enough to book a job that you have auditioned for or submitted your photo or resume, it can be extremely disappointing. Rest assured a good agent and client realizes you are a valuable commodity to our industry. Believe it or not a busy agent’s biggest problem and also paying clients, is finding really good talent that fit exactly what they are looking for on the particular job they need to book.

I truly believe that many of the actors and models that are not successful , feel like it’s a waste of time to go out on an audition if they’ve been turned down a few times and not booked. The reality is you need to just keep trying; you may have been extremely close to picking up one or more of the jobs you audition for but ultimately did not get that particular job. If you walk into the next new audition with the same excitement and enthusiasm you did on your first audition, chances are you will be the lucky one booked sooner than later.
Once you are booked often what happens next is that client may book you over and over again because you have proven you are easy to work with and good at what you do. The next time you go out on a job other clients will see new fresh things on your resume leading to better opportunities and jobs for you. You will become better at what you do if you learn from each job.
For talent agents, the person that continually submits for jobs, are always fresh ion their mind and we know they are eager and available to work. Even though we don’t have the final decision on whether you are booked for the job or not we know your chances will continually increase and you will get cast.
There usually is no middle ground in the acting and modeling industry, you are either booked or picked for the job making you feel like you’re on top of the world! You could make $300, $500, $1000 or more than $5000 for one job. Now everyone wants to be your friend and tell you how great you are. On the other side you can go on an audition and not be the lucky one chosen. Now you feel like you are a loser. Though it’s hard to understand this when you try so hard and fail, you have to look at it this way. You’re probably not a loser and when you book a big job that doesn’t make you a star.

You just never know when the next big booking will come that is why you need to be in it for the long haul if you enjoy it.
One thing I know for sure, the model or actor who continues to work hard at their craft, and who is in it for the long run, will substantially improve not only their skill level, but their ability to booked jobs. The consistent hard working talent can make a fantastic part time or maybe even full-time career. Which one will you be?
For more information go to www. Crazeagency.com. We are here to help!

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HOW TO FIND A REPUTABLE MODELING AND TALENT AGENCY!

Contact your local film commission and see the agencies they have listed, what their credits are and how long they have been associated. Contact local ad agencies, commercial photography studios, production companies and casting directors. Ask them which agencies they work with.

Check IMDB.com the industry leader in tracking Film, T.V., acting and production and see their booking credentials. Then call the Better Business Bureau in the State you live in and find out who is an accepted member of the BBB and the agency’s rating with the Bureau.

Pick 2-4 of the highest rated agencies and interview with them. At the interview see if the Agency can provide a verifiable list of jobs they have done in the past. If they do, make sure those types of clients fit your expertise and look.

Find out if they have personally represented any of their talent and assisted with them booking in larger markets if that is a goal of yours. Do not be confused with them claiming the talent once was represented by them. Be aware agencies are not miracle workers. You have to be exceptional and well skilled if clients are going to pay you to work in our industry.

Find out how much and what type of experience your actual agent and the agency have. If you find an agency that you are comfortable with stick with them at least one year so they have time to market you properly. If you need more information go to http://www.crazeagency.info

After working with hundreds of modeling and talent agencies all over the world I have found that the often publized statement that agencies will pay for your photos and training if they like you is in most cases not true.

Most agencies require you to pay for your headshots, composite cards, zed cards, head books, and photo shoots. Some huge agencies in the top 5 markets in the world may possibly loan money to very promising newcomers but rest assured they will collect and often with profit with interest.

Sometimes the huge Agencies in the biggest cities will line up test shoots for you but if it is a really good photographer they will charge you $100-$400 just for the shoot. The best usually do not work for free. Some new photographers will do free tests but it is usually a waist of your time if you want to use them as a professional marketing tool against top notch competition. Test shoots should usually be used to gain more experience and add to your portfolio if they are good.

To the people that make a successful day to day living in the professional Modeling and Acting industry is treated as a business. Agencies that have an enduring successful track record do not pay for upfront fees for new talent because there is no guarantee the model or actor will be profitable or that the model or actor will even follow through. They do not know for sure if the talent has all the various attributes it takes to be profitable example, (are they photogenic, intelligent, persistent, punctual, loyal, engaging and willing to accept rejection).

If you don’t have or do not want to invest the required capital it is almost impossible to become a professional model or actor. Most agencies will not be in business long if the agency fronts hundreds even thousands of dollars to each talent. Often the talent either decides not to pursue the business after a few try’s or does not work hard at being a great talent because they have nothing to lose. Some talent after getting their photos and portfolio paid for, then decide to jump to a competing agency. It is too risky for an agency to gamble like that.

Modeling and Acting is more than just taking photos and a few classes, you have to learn the “business” of this industry. You can’t call yourself a model or actor without knowing the business and doing the “real” work, which encompasses knowing how to book a paying job.

Being a smart talent though can make the process much easier and economical. When you sign with an agent make sure you do not pay a fee for them to promote you. You should only pay them a commission when you book a paying job. Do not pay exorbitant fees for photos, cards, portfolios etc. Do not pay exorbitant fees for training. Make sure the agency has a proven history of successfully booking jobs, realize it is a tough business and if an agency makes big promises they are usually after something (many times it is your money).

The talent industry has many honest, upstanding agents, models and actors but like with everything else in life there are a few people that take advantage of inexperienced people. Have a fun rewarding experience but be smart!

The Truth about Children’s Modeling and Acting all the way to Seniors!

I have enjoyed working in the talent industry booking models, actors and extras for over 27 years. I have usually worked in market sizes fewer than 2 million people. I have also worked with many other agents across the U.S. that also work in these size markets and have discovered some interesting facts that I would like to relay to parents of young talent.

First off yes there is plenty of legitimate work available for anyone from babies, kids, teens, young adults, adults and even seniors! With that said these is also a certain percentage of work that goes out to each of these age groups and also a certain percentage of people that are applying for these age groups. This can sometimes make it harder and sometimes easier for each person depending on their age, markets and experience level. The best thing about starting kids out when they are young is as they get older and more experience the odds get much better. You just have to have very realistic expectations for toddlers and young kids.

I have broken it into different age categories. Please remember these are educated guesses and can vary slightly depending on the ability of your agency, the market location and size, also some years are busier than others.

Babies and ages 1- 3 years old– In most markets 2 million and less this age group receives only between 3-5% of all the work that we book. Of all the applicants we receive though to be promoted, 10-15% are parents who want their little ones to model. We do occasionally book jobs but the percentages of getting booked is not as good as all of the other age categories. It is really frustrating when we have parents who could actually book many jobs themselves with our assistance and are in an age categories 25-50 years old that that have a lot of opportunities. When their child does book jobs the parent needs to go to the auditions with their kids and be there on the shoots if the child is booked.

The other drawback is from babies to 3 years their look changes by far the most, so a great photo that can be used to book the child becomes obsolete often after 6 months. Usually the type of work available is an occasional print ad, family commercials, modeling shoots or Film, TV or commercial using that age range. For Film and TV the often request identical twins. Pay is $100-$900 per day. For the big children’s companies’ ads, (Gerber, Pampers, Babies r us etc.) You would need to actually live in the markets that shoot those ads (NY, LA Chicago etc) they usually will not fly babies to do the shoots. Sometimes the big companies will come into smaller markets and use this age group but it is fairly rare.

Let’s talk about each of the other groups.

Kids 4 to 12 years old– At times this can be very busy and other times very slow There are opportunities for lifestyle photos, kids for clothing and toy ads, family commercial type shots, and lifestyle photos. There are also occasional nice acting opportunities but the kids need to be very good actors and speak and read very well. In our market size, this is not an area that you can have consistent work ,but if it is treated as a part-time hobby that you can make some nice money for the future this is perfect. There are a lot of applicants so there is an amazing amount of competition for this group though. It seems every parent wants their young kids to model or have been told their kid would be a great model. This category receives 10- 15% of the work available but we get new faces that want to apply at a rate of about 20-25% of all the applications we receive.

Teenagers age 13 to 17 years old -This age group can be busy sometimes and sometimes a little slower depending on if the production is using a lot of teens or there is an ad campaign in town using teenagers. The Disney films and TV series and family features will use a ton of teens, but companies marketing their product and most commercial print studios do not use a lot of teenagers. In high-fashion markets (New York, Miami, LA, Overseas etc.) this is a good age for models to start their career. In our markets this age group is very competitive since we receive 25-30% of all of our new faces who apply that want to belong to the agency and approximately 15 to 20% of the work we receive available for this age group.

Young adults 18-30years old -This is usually the busiest age category for fashion modeling, pretty busy for commercial and lifestyle modeling usually busy for film and TV acting. It is fairly busy for corporate business modeling and acting. Many productions ask us for people 18 and over especially in Union made Films, TV and Commercials who look younger because they do not have to deal with as much legality. Once someone is 18 they are no longer a minor. This age range is fairly competitive though, we receive approximately 25-30% of all of our applicants for new faces and we book approximately 20-30% of the jobs in this age category.

Adults 30 -40 years old– This is very good for many types print work, especially commercial and lifestyle. It is also good for website spokesperson jobs and business spokesperson jobs. Many roles are available for Film and TV. Talent in this age category generally make some of the higher rates for local markets. Approximately 20- 25% of the people apply as new talent to this group and it generally books 20-25% of all the work available.

Adults 40-60 years old– This can be a busy category especially for film, corporate work, commercial and lifestyle photography. This can also be a good category for pay. We receive approximately only 10-12% of all the people apply to be talent with our agency in this age group and they get 15-22% of the jobs booked, a great ratio. The person with a good business look does very well in this category especially if they can also act.

Seniors people 60 years old and up– The work ranges from lifestyle modeling ads, to film, TV and commercial work to stock photography. Pay ranges from $100-$150 per day for extra work to $200-$1000 per day for most other jobs. There is not as much competition as some of the other categories. We receive about 6-10% of all our new applicants who are in this age range and surprisingly this category gets about 10-15% of all the work. Many people either winding down their careers or retires looking for some extra part time income usually apply.

As you can see there are many variables in our industry. Of course the more experienced and qualified you are will help determine your odds on booking jobs. There are no guarantees but usually the talent that gives it time and an honest attempt will book jobs eventually!

Posing for the Camera
Here are some basic tips to look photogenic in front of the camera!

Get in front of a mirror and smile, and then look at how much of your gums you show naturally, it should be very little to none. Next when smiling see if your forehead and around your eyes crinkle. Practice smiling without letting your face change very much. When smiling, keep your eyes large but look natural. Many people squint when smiling. Try to smile and make it look as if someone said something funny and you laughed, instead of a forced smile. Sit in front of a mirror and observe your face from various angles and figure out which angles are most flattering.
Have a friend take photos of you from many angles, using a digital camera. You can then analyze the various photos and see which angles look best on you. Memorize those angles so when you take photos you have different ones you can do and they all look great. Be aware of having proper posture. Slouchy and small shoulders look awful in photos. Keep your shoulders back when posing for the camera.
For a pose that is flattering turn your body at a three-quarters angle to the camera. One shoulder will be angled toward the camera. Bring one leg slightly in front of the other and shift your weight to your back leg. This can help you to look slimmer.

1- When you are booked for any job write down the director, producer, casting director, TV Network etc… You need this info. For your resume. Also remember the part you played. (If it was extra work you must put that in a separate Extra category not acting). Always update your resume the day you do the project. You would not believe the amount of work people lose out on because their resumes are not updated.

2- To insure payment when you are booked on a job, please remember to bring appropriate ID and fill out all forms legibly and correctly. Also keep track of the dates you work and what job it was just in case.

3- Keep your look close to the photos your agent uses to promote you, or you must update the photos. Clients really get upset when you do not match your photo or if we send you out to meet them and you have gained or lost weight, have longer hair or a different color we could lose that client permanently.

4- Never say a negative word on set. Even among fellow actors or models. Even about other agencies. It never helps you or us in the long run! Let’s take the high road even though many people and agencies don’t.

5- A successful Modeling and Acting career is like any other career it takes time, persistence, dedication, knowledge, skill and patience!

6- Many National Clients take time to pay you, even when your agent bills them with a 30 day voucher. We all hate it as bad as you do, (we all have bills to pay). Often they have 2-3 clients they bill to get you paid. Legitimate agents will do everything in their power to collect, but it has always been that way and will probably never change with the big national companies. They know they get a lot of people work so if you harass them too much the client will just use someone else.

7- Do not accept an audition unless you are 100% sure you can make it and be on time. Usually agents are limited in the time slots we have and we do not have time to replace you. We also give the casting director a list the night before and they will too be busy the next day of the audition for us to schedule someone else with them. They just figure you are unreliable.

– No matter how you feel inside you have to portray self confidence when you are interviewed. Clients never hire people who let them know they are new at this or who are not a polished finished product.

9- Don’t show it or be shocked if the audition is not what you visualized. A pro expects it to always be different and is ready to make quick on the spot adjustments. They almost want it to be tough because they know the amateur will let it affect them. Half of success in this business is

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Being very adaptable on the fly. That is why it takes training and experience for many of the jobs.

10- Always just have fun with this business. Clients love to be around smiling, funny, happy people. Many actors, models get too serious when they audition because they feel the pressure.

11- If a client ask you what your rate is say, call my agent or let us know. That is our job and we will make sure to get documents signed if needed and get you the best rate possible for that type of project. Usually clients that do not want to initially go through agents will either never pay or low ball you or work in an unprofessional manner. Plus you are responsible to let the agency know about these projects.

12- If you need an agent research the Better Business Bureau, call your local Film Commission and ask casting directors who they use. If you live in the western U.S. except California contact the Craze Agency 801-438-0067, http://www.crazeagency.com

Craze Agency now servicing Utah, Nevada, Idaho, Colorado, Washington and Wyoming. Craze Agency can assist you with all your casting needs. We have 60 years combined experience, If you have worked with us before you know we have a variety of talent and are budget friendly. Craze Agency is one of the highest ranked Agencies by the worlds largest, unbiased expert in the entertainment industry! IMDB.COM